The Loeb Classical Library is an essential set for anyone studying the classics. Founded by James Loeb in the early 20th century, the series was designed to make Greek and Latin classics accessible to everyone.

Loeb felt that reading Greek and Latin literature was of great value, writing:

It has always seemed to me a pity that the young people of our generation should grow up with such scant knowledge of Greek and Latin literature, its wealth and variety, its freshness and its imperishable quality. The day is past when schools could afford to give sufficient time and attention to the teaching of the ancient languages to enable the student to get that enjoyment out of classical literature that made the lives of our grandfathers so rich. The demand for something “more practical,” the large variety of subjects that must be taught, are crowding hard upon the Humanities.

To “make the beauty and learning, the philosophy and wit of the great writers of ancient Greece and Rome” accessible, Loeb paired Greek and Latin texts with English translations on facing pages for easy reference. The iconic print books were created in a size that could easily fit in a pocket for ready access.

The Noet editions, based on the iconic Loeb Classical Library print texts, continue James Loeb’s mission of making these timeless classics accessible. With Noet, you can read the original-language texts and translations side-by-side, scrolling in sync. Search your library for a specific word or phrase. See Greek and Latin gloss and morphology with a single click. And, with the free Noet app, you can take your entire library everywhere.

Save 46% on the Loeb Classical Library Builder when you order by December 31. Learn more.

Noet’s smart study tools and libraries of hand-selected texts are designed to help you:

Save time

Your Noet Research Library is a database of information. You can search you entire library, a specific series, or book for a word, phrase, or topic. Your books link together, so references link to source texts, letting you jump between works with ease.

Writing a scholarly paper? You can cite your sources automatically, make searchable notes and highlights, and upload your own papers.

Plus, with the Noet app, you can put your library on your mobile devices. Your books, notes, and highlights can go where you go. Start studying the philosophy of Wittgenstein on your iPhone on the bus, then pick up right where you left off on your laptop at home.

With Noet, you can spend less time flipping through books and more time studying.

Study in Greek or Latin

Even if you don’t know Greek or Latin, Noet can help you read works in their original languages. Greek and Latin gloss, morphology, and lemmas are just a click away. Plus, you can set a primary source to scroll in sync with its English language translation.

With Noet’s smart study tools, your dictionaries connect directly to your original-language works. Let’s say that you’re reading Caesar’s The Gallic War and want to see the English definition of “colloquium.” Simply click on the word and Noet will take you to your dictionary of choice. Here you can find definitions, quotes from classical sources, references and more.

While looking through the entry, does a quote or reference catch your eye? Let’s say that you want to see a quote from Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things. Simply click on it and Noet will take you there.

See historical events in context

Noet Research Libraries include an interactive timeline of world history. Is a date referenced in a book? Click on it to jump to Noet’s Timeline to see other significant events.

Want to see what was happening during a particular era? The Timeline is completely searchable.

With Noet’s Timeline, you can better understand how works across the ages influenced historical events and vice versa.

Discover new connections

Over the centuries, writers have been in conversation with each other. For example, the discussion surrounding freedom of expression can be found in sources as diverse as the Old and New Testament, the ancient comedies of Aristophanes, the poetry of Milton, and the political theory of John Stuart Mill. Homer, Euripides, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Henry James, and others wrote about fate. Plato, Locke, Kant, Wittgenstein and other philosophers debated the nature of knowledge.

With Noet’s connected library, you can join this conversation like never before. With smart searches and linked books, you can trace the discussion across texts, time, and genre. You’ll be able to better understand the development of ideas, relationships between schools of thought, and how each writer influenced those who came after him or her.

Go deeper in your study

Having a Noet Research Library is like having your own research assistant. Need to find every mention of knowledge in Spinoza’s works? A simple search will pull up every reference in seconds. With Noet, you can spend less time gathering data and more time analyzing it, drawing conclusions, and developing your arguments.

Gain further insight into ancient Greek culture and mythology with this week’s $0.99 bonus book, the two-volume Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica. This book includes Homeric poetry, as well as Hesiod’s Theogony,Works and Days, and more. Hesiod’s narrative poetry elegantly presents both mythology and daily life in ancient Greece, providing a remarkable window into the past. This Loeb Classical Library edition includes both the Greek text and an authoritative English translation.

Interested in the lives and contributions of the great dramatists featured in this week’s free book? Keep reading.

Four Great Playwrights of Ancient Greece

If we were to visit fifth-century Athens, we would witness the he flourishing of historiography, philosophy, politics, and science with Socrates, Plato, Herodotus, Thucydides, Pericles, and Hippocrates. But some of the most brilliant contributions to this era were artistic. The playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes brought all the learning of the age home to Athenian hearts.

Aeschylus

Lifetime: c. 525–455 BCE

Claim to Fame: Considered the “Father of Tragedy”

Famous Lines: “Time, as it grows old, teaches all things.” —Prometheus Bound

Bio: It is believed that Aeschylus was born in Eleusis, a small town near Athens. During his lifetime, he wrote over 70 plays and won the prestigious Dionysian dramatic festival 13 times. In addition to being a talented playwright, he was also a soldier and heroically defended Athens against the invading Persian army at the Battle of Marathon.

Due to his celebrity status, many legends about Aeschylus fill the annals of history. An especially famous tale is about Aeschylus’ entry into the theatrical world. According to myth, Aeschylus spent his youth working at a vineyard. As he cared for the grapes, he developed great reverence for Dionysus, the god of wine and theater. One night, the god appeared to young Aeschylus in a dream and told him to turn his attention to writing plays. Obediently, Aeschylus began writing his first tragedy the very next day.

Another popular legend about Aeschylus surrounds his death: supposedly, an eagle mistook the playwright’s bald head for a stone and dropped a tortoise upon it to break the shell, accidentally killing Aeschylus. The fate of the tortoise is unknown.

Sophocles

Lifetime: c. 496–406 BCE

Claim to fame: Perhaps won more dramatic competitions than any other playwright in ancient Greece

Famous Lines:
“Think: all men make mistakes,
But a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong,
And repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
—Antigone

Bio: Sophocles was born in Colonus, not far from Athens. He was the son of a wealthy merchant and was thus provided with a sparkling education.

As a playwright, he wrote around 120 dramas for various festivals, winning at least 24 of them. Surprisingly, his success didn’t go to his head. He was well-known for his generous spirit, character, and humility. He held Aeschylus in high regard and respected his rival, Euripides. When Euripides passed away in 406 BCE, Sophocles led the public mourning. Sophocles himself died shortly afterwards and, according to legend, passed away while reading Antigone aloud.

Euripides

Lifetime: c. 480–406 BCE

Claim to Fame: Euripides’ plays are considered modern, as he created realistic and multifaceted characters

Famous Lines: “In this world second thoughts, it seems, are best.” —Hippolytus

Bio: Prior to his birth, Euripides’ father sought advice from an oracle. The oracle told him that his son would be honored by all men and win many contests. Thus, young Euripides was trained in athletics and the arts.

Euripides won several athletic contests as a youth and was also a painter. He’s best remembered for his dramas, although he only won first prize at dramatic festivals on four occasions. This is likely due to the popularity of his rival, Sophocles.

Euripides’ plays feature elegant rhetoric, multidimensional characters, and realistic plot lines. Euripides, like many artists, wasn’t fully appreciated until after his death. In the Middle Ages, his plays were rediscovered and praised by many great writers, including Dante Alighieri.

Aristophanes

Lifetime: c. 446–386 BCE

Claim to Fame: Considered the “Prince of Comedy”

Famous Lines: “It is the compelling power of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size.” —The Frogs

Bio: Aristophanes is the best-known comedic playwright of ancient Greece. His fantastical plays are marked by razor-sharp satire, slapstick humor, clever puns, and witty dialogue. He satirizes almost everything—politics, war, philosophy, even the Greek gods. What is remarkable about Aristophanes’ plays is that their humor has endured, entertaining audiences for over 2,000 years—a testament to the Prince of Comedy’s wit.

Aristophanes is also remarkable for his bold nature. He never shied away from poking fun at public figures. Not even Socrates, Euripides, or the general Cleon were safe from being caricatured in his plays. While there’s no record of how Socrates felt about being caricatured, we do know that the general Cleon was furious. In fact, Cleon was so angry with Aristophanes that he attempted to take legal action against him. However, this was not possible: satire was not a criminal offense. But, perhaps Cleon thought the threat would deter Aristophanes from writing about him further. It appears that quite the opposite happened—Aristophanes responded by simply parodying Cleon again.